Air conditioning apparatus



' A ril 11, 1967 v N. LAING 3,313,122

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 8, 1965 FIG. 7.

R C 34a- 34 8 mvzu'ron NIKOLAUS LAING RM, chmfl ML I AAW ATTORNEYS United States Patent AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Nikolaus Laing, Hofener Weg 35, Aldingeu, near Stuttgart, Germany Filed Dec. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 512,386

6 Claims. (Cl. 62-263) This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 477,756 filed August 6, 1965, now Patent No. 3,279,209, which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 360,053 filed April 15, 1964 (now Patent No. 3,200,609) itself a continuation-in-part of application 132,757 filed August 21, 1961 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to room air conditioner units.

A room air conditioner unit, as the term will ,be used herein, comprises, as a single piece of apparatus, two heat exchanger blocks co-operating with a compressor to form a refrigerator wherein one block forms the condenser and the other the evaporator, air from a room being circulated by a blower through the one heat exchanger block, and air from the outside atmosphere being circulated by another blower through the other heat exchanger block. Commonly the heat exchanger block forming the evaporator is within the room, so as to cool it, the other heat exchanger block forming the condenser and rejecting heat to the exterior. However, the reverse arrangement is possible, the apparatus then functioning as a heat pump.

A room air conditioner unit can be bulky and where and how to install it is often a problem. In'my prior application Ser. No. 477,756 and in my Patent 3,200,609, both of which are mentioned above, there is described a room air conditioner unit having a relatively compact block-like form which can be installed in an opening in an outside wall of the room. However it is often not convenient to make a sufficiently large aperture 'in the vwall, for example it may be unduly difiicult and expensive, or it may be objectionable visually; these considerations will apply particularly when it is desired to air condition an existing building.

The present invention provides a room air conditioner unit wherein the heat exchanger/ blower unit taking its air flow from and discharging it to the exterior has its inlet and outlet juxtaposed over a cross-sectional area in the form of a slot. This enables the air conditioner unit to be mounted within the room and to communicate with 'the exterior through a slot-like opening in the wall, which can of course be much more easily made than a hole large enough to take the whole unit. The slot-like opening could be formed in a window, e.g. along the lower edge above the sill. However where possible it is preferred to locate the unit under the sill with the slot-like .Opening under the window frame. The opening could be formed as part of a unit including the window; this may be a particularly desirable arrangement in new construction. In all cases the narrow slot will be much more acceptable visually, and often less costly, than the large opening previously needed, especially if the slot is combined with the window feature.

My above mentioned prior application S61.N0. 477,- 756 and Patent 3,200,609 disclose a heat exchanger/ blower unit based on the concept of inducing the air flow through a rectangular heat exchanger block by means of a cross flow blower having its rotor parallel to one side edge of the block. This enables the air flow to take place more or less evenly over the whole area of the block and makes for a compact form of heat exchanger/ blower umt.

A cross-flow blower as above mentioned is understood herein to comprise a bladed cylindrical rotor and guide means co-operating with the rotor on rotation thereof to induce a flow of air from an entry side of the rotor Patented Apr. 11, 1967 through the path of the rotating blades to the interior of the rotor and thence again through the path of the rotating blades to a discharge side of the rotor.

I The present invention in its preferred form makes use of the concepts of my earlier invention.

Since flow through the rotor takes place in planes which are transverse to the rotor axis, there is no theoretical limit to the length of the rotor as there is with a centrifugal flow rotor; the rotor length is governed simply by constructional considerations. The cross flow blower is therefore ideally suited to use in carrying out the present invention, since the inlet and outlet of the heat exchanger/blower unit can be in the form of slots with their long edges juxtaposed, each slot having substantially the length of the blower rotor. This arrangement minimizes the ducting required, with its attendant bulk and energy losses, and enables the flow through the heat exchanger to be approximately uniform over its length. In the forms of heat exchanger/ blower unit-illustrated in my prior patent the rotor is located opposite one side back in a block-like casing separated by partition walling extending slant-wise through the casing with the heat exchangers extending over the opposite sides thereof.

This arrangement provides the compact block-like room air conditioner unit previously mentioned which forms the preferred embodiment of my earlier invention.

The above-described construction is only suitable for mounting in a wall. The present invention in a preferred form makes use of the block-like casing, the slant-wise partition walling extending therethrough and on the room or forward side of the unit a heat exchanger/ blower combination as just described. However the rear heat exchanger/blower unit, which communicates with the exterior, has inlet and outlet with major areas in the form of various slots extending over the length of the air circulation space of this unit with their long edges juxtaposed. The inlet and outlet of the rear heat exchanger/ blower unit are preferably directly opposite the rotor thereof and the heat exchanger block extends from the rotor to the narrower end of the air circulation space to form two chambers of narrow triangular cross-sections communicating at their larger ends respectively with the inlet and with the outlet, the air flow taking place from one chamber to the other through the heat exchanger block. The rotor may be disposed between the inlet and one of said chambers.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with referenoeto the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-section perspective view of one outside wall of a room showing a room air conditioner unit according to the invention installed on the wall beneath a window sill, and

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the unit with portions broken away to show interior parts.

Referring to the drawing, the room air conditioner unit there shown comprises a block-like casing 1 mounted on the underside of a window sill C against the exterior wall W of a room R, and facing into the room. The casing space 12, each having a wider part and a narrower part,

, the wider part of one space being opposite the narrower part of the other.

A vertically disposed rectangular heat exchanger block 13 extends across the whole front area of the front air circulation space 11, behind an ornamental grille 14. A cylindrical bladed rotor 15 extending over the whole length of the space 1 1 is mounted for rotation about its axis adjacent the lower edge 16 of the heat exchanger block 13 that is, in the wider part of the space. The rotor 15 comprises a series of forwardly curved blades 17 supported between end discs 18, one disc being flexibly mounted on the end of the shaft of a driving motor 20 in the compartment 9 and the other disc being flexibly mounted on an end bearing (not shown) supported on the end wall. A guide wall 21 extends towards the rotor 15 from mid-way in the height of the block 13; the wall 21 divides the block into juxtaposed upper andlower rectangular portions 22, 23 forming respectively outlet and inlet areas for the air circulation space 11. The wall .21 presents a guide surface 24 to the rotor; opposite the guide surface an arcuate wall 25 embraces the rotor, fairing into the partition walling and extending to the lower edge 16 of the heat exchanger block 13. The guide surface 24 and guide wall 25 form guide means which co-operate with the rotor on rotation thereof by the motor in the direction of the arrow 26 to induce a flow of air from the inlet area 23, twice through the path of the rotating blades of the rotor and out through the outlet area. -This air fiow traverses the heat exchanger block 13 and takes place in planes transverse to the rotor axis.

A heat exchanger block 30 extends within the rear air circulation space 12 over the whole lengththereof. The block 30 extends upwardly at an angle from the narrower part of the air circulation space 12 and defines therein two chambers 31, 32 of narrow triangular cross section. The heat exchanger block 30 terminates well below the top casing wall 2, and in the wider part of the air circulation space 12 above the block is mounted a bladed cylindrical rotor 33. The rotor 33 is similar in construction and arrangement to the rotor 15 and is driven by a motor 33' in the compartment 9.

The air circulation space 12 has an inlet 34, the major part of which is a horizontally disposed slot 34a extending the length of the air circulation space and bounded by a rearward extension of the top casing wall 2 and a parallel intermediate wall 35. This wall 35 defines with a parallel lower Wall 36 a horizontal slot 37 which forms an outlet for the air circulation space 12 and also extends over the whole length thereof. As will be seen the lower horizontal edge of the inlet slot 34a is juxtaposed with he upper horizontal edge of the outlet slot 37. The inlet 34 includes also an area 34b which merges with the slot 34a: this area 34b extends over the width of the smaller compartment 9, its depth being the combined depths of the slots 34a and 3-7. The inlet 34 and outlet 37 together form a short rectangular rearward extension of the casing 1, the height of which is only a fraction of the total height.

The intermediate wall 35 has an extension 40* towards the rotor 33 which presents thereto a guide surface 41 overlying the top of the heat exchanger block 30. Upposite the guide surface 41 a guide wall 42 embraces the rotor 33 and fairs into the partitioning walling 10 and the top casing wall 2. The guide surface 4 1 and guide wall 42 provide guide means cooperating with the rotor 33 to induce a flow of air from the inlet 34 to the rotor (and it will be seen that the rotor lies directly opposite the inlet slot 34a), twice through the path of-the rotating blades of the rotor to the chamber 31, through the heat exchanger over the whole area thereof to the chamber 32 and thence out of the outlet slot 37.

It will be noticed that the rotors 15, 33 and their respective guide means form crossflo w fans operating in the same general manner. In each a vortex of Rankine type is formed adjacent the guide surfaces 24, 4 1 respectively, the vortex core regions indicated at V interpenetrating the path of the rotating blades and guiding air through the rotor in curved paths. Thus a major part of the'turning of the flow required in the respective air circulating spaces 11, 12 takes place in the rotor itself and without the losses of energy associated with ducting. Throughout the air circulation spaces 11, 12 air flows in planes transverse to the rotor axis.

The heat exchanger blocks 13, 30 are connected in a closed refrigerant circuit with a compressor 50' which may be of conventional type so that the whole forms a refrigeration apparatus. The heat exchanger block 13 forms an evaporator and the block 30 a condenser, so that air in the room is cooled and waste heat rejected to the exterior. However, the arrangement could be reversed, for example by reversing valves, to function as a heat pump and thereby warm the room, the heat exchanger block 13 then being the condenser and the block 30- the evaporator.

I claim:

1. A room air conditioner unit comprising a casing of generally block-like form, partition walling extending lengthwise and slantwise in the casing to separate a front air circulation space from a rear air circulation space each space having a wider and a narrower part with the wider part of one opposite the narrower part of the other, a rectangular heat exchanger block in each air circulation space extending over the length and at least the major portion of the height thereof, a rotatably mounted motor driven cylindrical bladed rotor extending over the length of each air circulation space in the Wider part thereof, flow guide means extending the length of each rotor and co-operating therewith on rotation thereof to induce a flow of air through the respective air circulation space from an inlet and twice through the path of the rotating blades of the rotor to an outlet the air flow taking place generally in planes perpendicular to the rotor axis and traversing the respective heat exchanger block, a com pressor connected in a closed refrigerant circuit with said heat exchanger blocks whereby to form a refrigeration apparatus wherein one heat exchanger block is the evap 'orator and the other the condenser, the air flow in the front air circulation space being taken from and discharged to the room and the air flow in the rear air cir culation space being taken from and discharged to the exterior, and the inlet and outlet of the rear circulation space having major areas in the form of narrow slots extending over the length of said space with their long edges juxtaposed; said casing being divided transverse= ly by a vertical wall extending from front to rear into a main compartment containing said air circulation spaces and a motor compartment.

2. A room air conditioner unit comprising a casing of generally block-like form, partition walling extending lengthwise and slantwise in the casing to separate a front air circulation space from a rear air circulation space each space having a wider and a narrower part with the wider part of one opposite the narrower part of the other, a rectangular heat exchanger block in each air circulation space extending over the length and at least the major portion of the height thereof, a rotatably mounted motor driven cylindrical bladed rotor extending over the lengthof each air circulation space in the Wider part thereof, flow guide means extending the length of each rotor and co-operating therewith on rotation thereof to induce a flow of air through the respective air circulation spacefrom an inlet and twice through the path of the rotating blades of the rotor to an outlet the air flow taking place generally in planes perpendicular to the rotor axis and traversing the respective heat exchanger block, a compressor connected in a closed refrigerant circuit with said heat exchanger blocks whereby to form a refrigeration apparatus wherein one heat exchanger block is the evaporator and the other the condenser, the air flow in the front air circulation space being taken from and discharged to the room and the air flow in the rear air circulation space being taken from and discharged to the exterior, and the inlet and outlet of the rear circulation space having major areas in the form of narrow slots extending over the length of said space with their long edges juxtaposed wherein in the rear air circulation space the inlet and outlet are directly opposite the rotor and the heat exchanger block extends from the rotor to the narrower end of the space to form two chambers of narrow triangular cross-section communicating at their larger ends respectively with the inlet and with the outlet, said air flow taking place from one chamber to the other through the heat exchanger block.

3. A room air conditioner unit adapted for placement on the exterior wall of a room comprising: an L-shaped casing having a vertically extending leg and a horizontally extending leg wherein the horizontally extending leg of the casing is adapted to protrude through a wall opening into the interior of the room and the vertically extending leg of the casing is adapted to rest against the exterior wall of the room; refrigeration apparatus including a compressor, a first rectangular-shaped heat exchanger acting as a condenser, a second rectangular-shaped heat exchanger acting as an evaporator, and a closed refrigerant circuit connecting said compressor and heat exchangers; an exterior air inlet opening and an exterior air outlet opening in the side of said vertically extending leg opposite said horizontally extending leg; a first crossfiow type blower having a rotor extending over the length of said first heat exchanger for moving air between said exterior air inlet opening and said exterior air outlet opening to traverse said first heat exchanger; an interior air inlet opening and interior air outlet opening in the form of horizontally extending slots in the vertical side of said horizontally extending leg opposite said vertically extending leg extending over the length of said second heat exchanger; and a second cross-flow type blower extending over the length of said second heat exchanger and slots for moving air between said interior air inlet opening and said interior air outlet opening to traverse said second heat exchanger; said compressor and blowers being positioned in said vertically extending leg exterior of the room.

4. A room air conditioner unit according to claim 3 wherein said second heat exchanger is positioned in the path of air flow between said second blower and the interior air outlet opening whereby the transmission of noise generated by said second blower to the interior of the room is reduced.

5. A room air conditioner unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inlet to the rear compartment extends over the whole length of the casing including the motor compartment.

6. A room air conditioner unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotor is disposed between the inlet and one of said chambers.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,660,866 12/1953 Tipton 62-427 2,664,720 1/ 1954 Borgerd 62--262 2,942,773 6/1960 Eck 62-426,,X 3,123,987 3/1964 Moore 62-263 3,128,610 4/1964 Moore 62-263 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A ROOM AIR CONDITIONER UNIT COMPRISING A CASING OF GENERALLY BLOCK-LIKE FORM, PARTITION WALLING EXTENDING LENGTHWISE AND SLANTWISE IN THE CASING TO SEPARATE A FRONT AIR CIRCULATION SPACE FROM A REAR AIR CIRCULATION SPACE EACH SPACE HAVING A WIDER AND A NARROWER PART WITH THE WIDER PART OF ONE OPPOSITE THE NARROWER PART OF THE OTHER, A RECTANGULAR HEAT EXCHANGER BLOCK IN EACH AIR CIRCULATION SPACE EXTENDING OVER THE LENGTH AND AT LEAST THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE HEIGHT THEREOF, A ROTATABLY MOUNTED MOTOR DRIVEN CYLINDRICAL BLADED ROTOR EXTENDING OVER THE LENGTH OF EACH AIR CIRCULATION SPACE IN THE WIDER PART THEREOF, FLOW GUIDE MEANS EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF EACH ROTOR AND CO-OPERATING THEREWITH ON ROTATION THEREOF TO INDUCE A FLOW OF AIR THROUGH THE RESPECTIVE AIR CIRCULATION SPACE FROM AN INLET AND TWICE THROUGH THE PATH OF THE ROTATING BLADES OF THE ROTOR TO AN OUTLET THE AIR FLOW TAKING; PLACE GENERALLY IN PLANES PERPENDICULAR TO THE ROTOR AXIS AND TRAVERSING THE RESPECTIVE HEAT EXCHANGER BLOCK, A COMPRESSOR CONNECTED IN A CLOSED REFRIGERANT CIRCUIT WITH SAID HEAT EXCHANGER BLOCKS WHEREBY TO FORM A REFRIGERATION APPARATUS WHEREIN ONE HEAT EXCHANGER BLOCK IS THE EVAPORATOR AND THE OTHER THE CONDENSER, THE AIR FLOW IN THE FRONT AIR CIRULATION SPACE BEING TAKEN FROM AND DISCHARGED TO THE ROOM AND THE AIR FLOW IN THE REAR AIR CIRCULATION SPACE BEING TAKEN FROM AND DISCHARGED TO THE EXTERIOR, AND THE INLET AND OUTLET OF THE REAR CIRCULATION SPACE HAVING MAJOR AREAS IN THE FORM OF NARROW SLOTS EXTENDING OVER THE LENGTH OF SAID SPACE WITH THEIR LONG EDGES JUXTAPOSED; SAID CASING BEING DIVIDED TRANSVERSELY BY A VERTICAL WALL EXTENDING FROM FRONT TO REAR INTO A MAIN COMPARTMENT CONTAINING SAID AIR CIRCULATION SPACES AND A MOTOR COMPARTMENT. 